other Solaris hardware ideas

Discuss John Bowen Synths - Solaris
normanion
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by normanion »

Hi John!

Right now, in light of things discussed in "Developer Fund" thread, I think that for me it all depends how will be programming and multitimbrality made. Ideally would be to program 1U rack (or any other expansion - every other option could be programed in this way) from my Solaris, so I can benefit from this design, but then be able to either split, or disconnect controls, and perform live from differen midi channel. So maybe only midi channel selector like dial and two digit display?

If price will be good, I think that option nr 1 is also very good. Actually: this one would be my favourite one year ago, when I was trying to decide between this and other synths, as my space is limited. So when targeting new customers, this makes most sense for me from business point of view.

Summa summarum: right now I'm voting nr 2. But only as an owner and not with such pressure as I had before getting my first Solaris. I think that focus research should be done outside this forum, so not only owners or "barely" owners can speak their mind.
david
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by david »

As an existing owner I would buy an *internal* hardware upgrade. I would also buy a OLED screen retrofit.

I would not buy a separate rack extender. Don’t have room, don’t want to wire up an external box.

For new owners, I think you have to go with the knobby extender option. I don’t see you selling a lot of cut down versions (and why would you want to spend time designing the UI?).
John Bowen
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by John Bowen »

I’ve had posts about OLED displays before - right now there aren’t any OLED displays that would fill the cutout, so we would have to produce a new top panel metalwork for it to not look ‘funny’ (unless you are OK with having a large border around it to fill the space).

Current graphics display has a viewing area of 127.17mm x 33.89mm, and the largest OLED for graphics display has a viewing area of 82mm x 33mm. (The OLED is also $5 more.)
david
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by david »

John Bowen wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 11:58 am I’ve had posts about OLED displays before - right now there aren’t any OLED displays that would fill the cutout, so we would have to produce a new top panel metalwork for it to not look ‘funny’ (unless you are OK with having a large border around it to fill the space).

Current graphics display has a viewing area of 127.17mm x 33.89mm, and the largest OLED for graphics display has a viewing area of 82mm x 33mm. (The OLED is also $5 more.)
Got it. Maybe there is a newer generation LCD that would be worth upgrading..?

Have you also looked at an internal board upgrade, instead of building an external box?
roginator
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by roginator »

I have feeling that anything small would not work .... if you go small go plugin (but that is already on market)

format like Oberheim Xpander would work. - so just cut out Keyboard and thats it
beside going into that format I would say it would be far better to make more for platform that is on market already:

Solaris need some ultimate OS release, more polyphony if possible, 2 or 4 midi ch multimode, improved sample player-editor and even sampling,

Also I have feeling Solaris need far better sound library support.
Benoist Guitton
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by Benoist Guitton »

I would favor the " blackbox " and priced like the Sonic Core Xite-1D but with a headphone jack ! 4 ins / 4 outs and chainable with other units or Solaris
Of course an editor ( my reply in the dedicated topic of Owners General Discussion )
I was wondering what would be the price of a cut-down Solaris master keyboard : just keep the joystick and ribbon, no screens, a reduced set of buttons, maybe a touchpad to replace the joystick provided it's cheaper that way !
kristijanf
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by kristijanf »

Someone mentioned library support.
yes, Solaris definitely needs several libraries.
Some of us are strictly composers, and we would gladly buy banks like Event Horizon.

Solaris software requires unit to run it, expensive as Solaris itself.


You have survey results.
I think there are at least 30 people interested.

I would like to see more people that ARE interested in keyboardless version included in conversation.
John Bowen
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by John Bowen »

david wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:16 pm Have you also looked at an internal board upgrade, instead of building an external box?
Yes, this is already in the works, as I’ve posted elsewhere, but it will take quite some time to get it working. All the code has to be migrated to the new board.
david
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by david »

John Bowen wrote: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:58 pm
david wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:16 pm Have you also looked at an internal board upgrade, instead of building an external box?
Yes, this is already in the works, as I’ve posted elsewhere, but it will take quite some time to get it working. All the code has to be migrated to the new board.
It will be an interesting puzzle. To balance time spent optimizing OS 2.0 so it can work with the original processors, knowing that the new chips will give you so much more DSP power to realize your ideas.
Toby Emerson
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by Toby Emerson »

I would be interested in an expander (rack version with no display needed for me) with an editor for the use:
- expand the polyphony for use with a future multi-timbral mode
- VST editor librarian.
Octupole
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by Octupole »

John Bowen wrote: Sat Dec 02, 2017 2:58 pm
david wrote: Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:16 pm Have you also looked at an internal board upgrade, instead of building an external box?
Yes, this is already in the works, as I’ve posted elsewhere, but it will take quite some time to get it working. All the code has to be migrated to the new board.
Will there be compatibility of the two hardware revisions and the OS? I.e. will the new OS also run on the current hardware (with maybe limited polyphony) and vice versa?
John Bowen
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by John Bowen »

The plan is to support two code bases, so yes, older units will still be running any updated OS that we have. There’s still a lot to be done, and I don’t expect the new main board to be ready for about one more year.
Hein Eken
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by Hein Eken »

John Bowen wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 11:23 pm
1) A keyboard less “expander” type, a la the Oberheim Expander. Complete front panel with all displays, but probably without wheels, joystick, ribbon, and obviously, keyboard.
Cool idea ( I own a Oberheim Xpander),- but probably nearly as expensive as the keyboard version.
John Bowen wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 11:23 pm 2) A small 1 u rack idea, with no front panel at all - just power On/Off, Volume control. Would need a decent software editor.
I´d prefer this when you´re willing to offer an editor for the SCOPE v7 environment ( I own XITE-1 ... and your ZARG synths as well)
John Bowen wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2017 11:23 pm 3) A 1 or 2 unit rack with a small display on it, possibly with a keypad as well.
2HU w/ display and keypad might be a very good compromize for a rackmount solution and when not using an editor all the time,- let´s say when all the patches are already editid to one´s liking, for a tour or what ever and the unit becomes a preset playback machine for that purpose and a period of time.

Well, the more I think of it I´d prefer 3) ... the 2HU unit.
Now it depends on the editor options.
I don´t use Mac,- no iPad, no iPhone.
So something for Windows (10) and/or SCOPE v7 would be ideal for me.

:)

Hein
scope4live
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by scope4live »

No stinkin’ desktop.
Rack mount.
Better ROI, less pipes in the plumbing.
Digital Outs/MIDI + Stereo XLR

Count me in for a few large
Magnus C350 on a TV Dinner Tray Stand with 2 x PigNose Amps for stereo


https://soundcloud.com/jimmyvee/wormhole
John Bowen
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Re: other Solaris hardware ideas

Post by John Bowen »

The rack unit uses the same motherboard, so the output jacks have to stay the same. No XLR outputs, sorry.
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